Court convicts man of sickening attack on five-year-old girl

Geoff has been working for the QT since August 2011 covering Ipswich’s rural areas. He started working for APN in January 2010 with the Chinchilla News in western Queensland after growing up on a grain farm. Geoff spends his time out of work watching far too much sport following the Reds, the Broncos and various American teams.

A MAN who abducted a five-year-old girl from a community party in Springfield before raping her has been convicted by a jury.

Suriya Choomwantha, 49, was found guilty of abduction and rape following a nine-day trial in Ipswich District Court.

The court was told Choomwantha attacked the child in November, 2010 at a massive party with much of the local Thai community in Springfield. Late in the night the five-year-old girl was taken by Choomwantha out of the party where he hid her behind a car and raped her.

Choomwantha's defence did not deny the girl was abducted and raped but maintained his client was not the person who did it.

The girl told police the man who took and raped her was wearing a black jacket and baseball cap, both of which Choomwantha's defence told the court he did not own and was not wearing on the night.

However, the court heard Choomwantha's DNA was found inside the left leg band of the girl's underwear, a VB can was found at the scene with his DNA around the rim and blood and the girl's DNA were found on his shirt.

The court heard Choomwantha was the last person seen with the girl before she went missing. She was spotted with him standing between his legs by her grandmother.

She went missing for between 15 and 20 minutes - during which the remaining party-goers began frantically searching the house, yard and street for her.

The girl was spotted by her grandfather who saw the man who took her, and described him as approximately 50, of Asian descent and wearing a black and red jacket

She was picked up and carried into the house by her grandfather where she was described as crying, tense and shaking.

When she was inside it was noticed her underwear was covered in blood.

A medical examination of the girl found evidence she had been raped.

When she spoke to police she told them she had seen Choomwantha before and he was well-known in the community but she did not know his name.

She said he got her behind the car, jumped on her and hurt her. Another young girl who was with the girl when she was taken said Choomwantha knew the girl's name and called to her to get her attention. He has been remanded in custody with the sentence adjourned until a date to be set.